HMAS Albatross is the main naval air station for the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) aviation branch, the Fleet Air Arm. The base, located near Nowra, New South Wales, was formally established in May 1942 as Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Nowra, then was transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS Nabbington in 1944, and operated as a naval air station until it was decommissioned in late 1945. In 1948, the airfield was commissioned into the RAN as HMAS Albatross, as the primary shore base for the Fleet Air Arm. Since 2011, five squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm operate from Albatross. The current commander of the base is Captain Robyn Phillips, RAN.
Jervis Bay Airfield is a military aerodrome in the Jervis Bay Territory in Australia. It is the only aerodrome in the territory and is located about 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Sussex Inlet; and about 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Jervis Bay Village and HMAS Creswell.
The Mobile Naval Airfield Organisation (MNAO) was the shore-based component of the naval air logistics organisation. This comprised two types of units, a Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB) and a Transportable Aircraft Maintenance Yard (TAMY). These were mobile units, the first of which formed in 1944, to provide logistical support to the Fleet Air Arm squadrons of the Royal Navy's British Pacific Fleet, towards the end of World War II.
HMS Nabbington, was a Royal Navy (RN), Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB), that was established at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Nowra at Nowra, New South Wales, in Australia during the final stages of the Second World War. HMS Nabbington was also known as MONAB I and Royal Naval Air Station Nowra.
HMS Nabberley was a Royal Navy (RN), Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB) at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Bankstown located at Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia. HMS Nabberley was also known as MONAB II and Royal Naval Air Station Bankstown.
HMS Nabthorpe was a Royal Navy, (RN), Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB) situated at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Station Schofields located at Schofields, New South Wales during the final year of the Second World War. HMS Nabthorpe was also known as MONAB III and Royal Naval Air Station Schofields.
1701 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). It was formed in February 1945 at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, as an amphibian bomber reconnaissance squadron. It was equipped with Supermarine Sea Otter, and the squadron joined HMS Begum in April 1945 bound for the Far East. The squadron was intended to join the newly established Mobile Naval Air Bases for Air Sea Rescue duties. 'B' Flight joined MONAB IV at RNAS Ponam in the Admiralty Islands in May 1945 and embarked in HMS Reaper in October 1945. 'A' Flight joined MONAB VI at RNAS Maryborough, Queensland, Australia in June 1945. The flights re-grouped in the Autumn of 1945 at HMS Nabcatcher, RNAS Kai Tak, Hong Kong, where it disbanded during August 1946.
706 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Established as a fighter and torpedo-bomber training unit in Australia at the end of World War Two, it was briefly reformed as a helicopter squadron in the early 1950s, before becoming a helicopter training unit in 1962, and operating until 1998.
887 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, which last disbanded during March 1946. It was formed as a Fleet Fighter squadron in May 1942 at HMS Daedalus, RNAS, Lee-on-Solent. The squadron embarked in HMS Unicorn during 1943 for convoy escort duties and later in the year to cover the allied landings at Salerno, Italy. At the end of 1943 it formed part of the 24th Naval Fighter Wing. 1944 saw it embark in HMS Indefatigable and the squadron saw action in operations against the german battleship Tirpitz during early 1944 and then joined the British Pacific Fleet at the end of the year. It was part of the attacks on the oil refineries at Palembang at the start of 1945 and later in the year it was involved in sorties around Tokyo, as part of the 7th Carrier Air Group, before V-J Day.
721 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). 721 Naval Air Squadron formed at HMS Gadwall, RNAS Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the beginning of March 1945, as a Fleet Requirements Unit for the British Pacific Fleet. Initially equipped with Vultee Vengeance target tugs, it arrived at HMS Nabaron, RNAS Ponam, Admiralty Islands in May 1945, and commenced operations towing targets. The squadron moved to HMS Nabsford, RNAMY Archerfield, Brisbane, Australia, during October and then relocated to Hong Kong at the beginning of 1946, moving to HMS Nabcatcher, RNAS Kai Tak, where it eventually disbanded at the end of 1947.
739 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, which disbanded during 1950. It was formed as the Blind Approach Development Unit for the Fleet Air Arm, operating with Fairey Fulmar and Fairey Swordfish aircraft, at RNAS Lee-on-Solent, in 1942. Just under one year later the squadron moved to RNAS Worthy Down, in late 1943 and continued in the role. Roughly one year later the squadron moved again, relocating to RNAS Donibristle in late 1944, disbanding in 1945. It reformed in 1947 and was based at RNAS Culham, with a new role, as the Fleet Air Arm Photographic Trials and Development Unit.
784 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded in the autumn of 1946. 784 NAS was a Night Fighter Training Squadron which formed at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, in June 1942, moving to HMS Nighthawk, RNAS Drem, East Lothian, in October 1942. Squadron Personnel were also detached to the Naval Air Radio Installation Unit at RAF Christchurch, in 1943 and in the same year, a number of crews were attached to RAF night fighter squadrons, with two officers gained Distinguished Flying Crosses. In 1944, three squadron Flights were attached for service to each of 813, 825 and 835 Naval Air Squadrons, embarked in the escort carriers HMS Campania, HMS Vindex, and HMS Nairana respectively, on convoy protection duties. At the beginning of 1946 the squadron moved to Wales, operating out of HMS Goldcrest II, RNAS Brawdy.
795 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded at RNAS Ford, in Sussex, during March 1947. Originally formed as the Eastern Fleet Fighter Pool at RNAS Tanga, in Tanganyika, in June 1942, it’s 'A' Flight's supported the invasion of Madagascar, from HMS Illustrious, before being detached at Majunga on anti-submarine patrols as part of the Royal Air Force’s No. 207 Group. The squadron later moved to RNAS Mackinnon Road, in Kenya, before disbanding during August 1943. It reformed as a Refresher Training Squadron at RNAS Eglinton, in Northern Ireland, in August 1946 as part of the Fleet Air Arm’s 52nd Training Air Group and later included a couple of deployments in HMS Implacable.
796 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded at RNAS Culdrose in October 1958. 796 Naval Air Squadron formed as the Eastern Fleet Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Pool, at RN Air Section Port Reitz, in Mombasa, in July 1942, it provided a detachment embarked in HMS Illustrious in August to support the invasion of Madagascar. This Flight also disembarked to Majunga in September to join 207 Group of the Royal Air Force and later rejoined the squadron at RNAS Tanga, in November and added operational training unit to its roles until disbanding in April 1944. It reformed in November 1947 at HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, as the Aircrewman Training School, for conversion of T.A.G.'s to aircrewman standard. Its task changed to Observer School Part II in January 1950. The squadron moved to HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose, in November 1953 and in 1957 took on the task of the disbanded 765 Naval Air Squadron.
1771 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which disbanded at HMS Nabbington, RNAS Nowra, near Sydney, in October 1945. Notably, the squadron was the first British & Commonwealth unit to fly over Japan in the Second World War. The squadron formed at HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton at the start of February 1944, as a Fighter Squadron and also operated from HMS Ringtail, RNAS Burscough, and HMS Landrail, RNAS Machrihanish, with deck landing training on the escort carriers HMS Trumpeter and HMS Ravager before embarking in the fleet carrier HMS Implacable in September. It was involved in sorties over Norway including reconnaisance of the German battleship Tirpitz and other anti-shipping strikes. The squadron remained in HMS Implacable and joined the British Pacific Fleet participating in attacks on the Caroline islands and the Japanese home islands, and becoming part of the 8th Carrier Air Group.
1850 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed in the United States at RN Air Section Brunswick as a fighter squadron in August 1944, with Vought Corsair aircraft before joining HMS Reaper to cross the Atlantic. On arrival in the UK it expanded its aircraft absorbing part of the disbanded 1849 Naval Air Squadron. After working up at HMS Gadwall, at RNAS Belfast, HMS Gannet, at RNAS Eglinton and HMS Wagtail, at RNAS Ayr, the squadron undertook deck landing training on HMS Venerable during February 1945, before joining her sister ship, HMS Vengeance. The ship sailed for the Far East to join the British Pacific Fleet and the squadron went ashore to HMS Valluru at Tambaram and HMS Garuda, at Coimbatore, in southern India in June for weapon training and dive bombing practice, becoming part of the 13th Carrier Air Group. With the end of the Second World War it returned to the UK and disbanded at HMS Siskin, at RNAS Gosport, in August 1946.
1843 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm between 1943 and 1945 and then a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Squadron from 1953 to 1957. It formed in the United States at RN Air Section Brunswick, in May 1944, as a fighter squadron. It arrived in the UK aboard HMS Trouncer in August. Based at HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland and training at HMS Wagtail, RNAS Ayr, Scotland, the squadron had deck landing training aboard HMS Patroller in December, before joining HMS Arbiter in February 1945, as part of the 10th Naval Fighter Wing. Sailing to Australia, the squadron became part of the 3rd Carrier Air Group, but saw no action before the war ended and disbanded in October 1945. It reformed as a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Branch anti-submarine squadron, in the Scottish Air Division, from 1953 and disbanded in 1957.
1844 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm between 1943 and 1945 and then a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Squadron from 1954 to 1957. It formed in Northern Ireland at HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, in December 1943, as a fighter squadron. It embarked in HMS Begum, in February 1944, for the Far East, arriving in Ceylon, in June and joining HMS Indomitable the following month. August, September and October saw the squadron undertake photographic reconnaissance and provide fighter cover for the attacks on Indaroeng and Emmahaven in Sumatra, then on Sigli, followed by the Nicobar Islands respectively.
1846 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed at RN Air Section Brunswick in July 1944 as a fighter squadron, with eighteen Vought Corsair Mk III fighter aircraft. It embarked in HMS Ranee in October, disembarking to HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton at the beginning of November, where it expanded to twenty-four aircraft by absorbing part of the disbanded 1848 Naval Air Squadron. In February 1945, it re-equipped with Vought Corsair Mk IV, having joined HMS Colossus at the start of the year. The aircraft carrier departed for the Far East in February, and its aircraft formed part of the 14th Carrier Air Group when this formed in June at HMS Valluru, Royal Naval Aircraft Maintenance Yard Tambaram. The squadron was too late for World War II, and eventually disbanded at HMS Siskin, RNAS Gosport, in July 1946.
HMS Nabaron was a Royal Navy (RN) Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB) which was situated at the United States Navy (USN) airfield NAS Ponam Airfield on Ponam Island, Admiralty Islands in Papua New Guinea, which had been transferred to RN on loan. HMS Nabaron was also known as MONAB IV and Royal Naval Air Station Ponam.
Royal Navy 